STARS III

STARS III (Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resources for Services, III) is GSA's government-wide IT services GWAC exclusively available to small businesses, organized into socioeconomic set-aside pools that allow federal agencies to fulfill IT services requirements while meeting small business contracting goals.

What is STARS III?

STARS III is managed by GSA FAS and is the third generation of GSA's small business IT GWAC. Unlike Alliant 3 or CIO-SP4 (which have both unrestricted and small business pools), STARS III is exclusively for small businesses, no large businesses can hold STARS III awards.

STARS III is organized into five pools corresponding to socioeconomic categories:

• Pool 1: Unrestricted Small Business: any small business qualifying under relevant NAICS codes
• Pool 2: 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business: 8(a) program participants
• Pool 3: HUBZone Small Business: businesses operating in Historically Underutilized Business Zones
• Pool 4: Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB): SDVOSB-certified firms
• Pool 5: Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB): WOSB-certified firms

When an agency issues a STARS III task order, it selects one or more pools based on its small business set-aside goals. A task order restricted to Pool 4 (SDVOSB) can only be competed among STARS III Pool 4 awardees. This structure lets agencies meet targeted socioeconomic goals while drawing from a large pre-qualified IT services pool.

STARS III scope covers all IT services categories: application development, systems integration, cloud computing, cybersecurity, IT operations and maintenance, enterprise architecture, and IT program management. The vehicle is open to all federal agencies and carries a total contract ceiling supporting substantial government-wide usage.

A key advantage for agencies: using a STARS III set-aside task order counts toward the agency's small business contracting goal AND toward its socioeconomic subcategory goals (8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, HUBZone), making STARS III valuable for agency small business compliance programs.

Why STARS III matters for government contractors

STARS III is one of the best government-wide vehicles for small IT businesses to pursue. The vehicle's exclusive small business focus means the competitive pool for task orders consists entirely of small businesses, no large prime contractors. For qualified small businesses with IT credentials, STARS III provides access to the entire federal IT services market without competing against large business incumbents. Companies holding multiple STARS III pool awards can compete for both general small business and socioeconomic set-aside task orders, maximizing their accessible opportunity set.

Example

A veteran-owned small business holding STARS III Pool 1 (Small Business) and Pool 4 (SDVOSB) awards wins a Department of Energy task order for cloud migration services ($9.5M, SDVOSB set-aside). The task order was restricted to STARS III Pool 4 awardees, a pool of 40 SDVOSB IT firms. The firm's proposal demonstrated a proven cloud migration methodology, three relevant past performance references, and a competitive labor rate structure. The DOE contracting officer used the STARS III SDVOSB task order to simultaneously meet the department's IT services need and contribute to its SDVOSB contracting goal reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does STARS III compare to Polaris for small businesses?

Polaris is GSA's small business GWAC for complex professional and technical IT services at a higher tier, focusing on emerging technology, R&D-adjacent IT work, and complex integration. STARS III covers a broader range of IT services at all complexity levels. Both are exclusively small business. Companies may pursue both; the choice for a specific task order depends on the agency's vehicle preference and the nature of the work.

Can a company hold awards in multiple STARS III pools?

Yes. A company that qualifies under multiple socioeconomic certifications can hold awards in multiple pools simultaneously. An 8(a) SDVOSB WOSB firm could potentially hold Pool 2, Pool 4, and Pool 5 awards, enabling it to compete on task orders restricted to any of those categories.

What happens to a STARS III award if the company outgrows small business size?

STARS III contracts are awarded based on small business size at the time of award. If a company grows beyond the small business size standard (measured at the STARS III NAICS code) after award, it generally retains its STARS III contract but cannot certify as a small business on subsequent STARS III task orders. The rules are complex, companies should consult their SBA advisor if size status becomes an issue.

Is STARS III only for IT services, not products?

STARS III is for IT services, not IT products. IT products (hardware, software, networking equipment) are better suited for NASA SEWP or the GSA MAS IT categories. Agencies using STARS III for IT services that incidentally include product purchases must ensure the product elements are incidental to the service requirement, not the primary purpose of the order.